The Poplar Street Bridge is on the move, so you'll need to find a different route

Missouri Department of Transportation engineers are sliding eastbound lanes south 9 feet and connecting the eastbound and westbound spans of the Poplar Street Bridge in order to add a fifth eastbound lane. Missouri Department of Transportation

Missouri Department of Transportation engineers are sliding eastbound lanes south 9 feet and connecting the eastbound and westbound spans of the Poplar Street Bridge in order to add a fifth eastbound lane. Missouri Department of Transportation

Crews plan to move the Poplar Street Bridge about 9 feet south this weekend, meaning those heading west by taking the Poplar Street Bridge will need to find a different route back over the Mississippi.

The Missouri Department of Transportation initially said it would start be closing lanes this week, but because of the heavy rain preparation work was postponed until Wednesday and Thursday nights, a spokesperson said.

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"This work is to remove overhead signs and the sign supports prior to this weekend's work to 'slide' the bridge," Andrew Gates wrote in a news release.

The work will ultimately add an eastbound lane.

The area engineer for St. Louis told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that engineers will use 26 hydraulic jacks to raise the road about an inch and will then slide the road some 9 feet south.

"Even though it sounds cool, it's not going to look terribly cool," Gates told the Post-Dispatch. "It's just going to be so slow.''

MoDOT said earlier this week that if weather allows it three lanes in each direction will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday night.

Adding the eastbound lane is part of an ongoing project costing some $54 million in hopes of reducing traffic congestion and extending the usable life of the bridge at least another 25 years, the Post-Dispatch reports.

Adding the lane also ties the eastbound and westbound spans of the Poplar Street Bridge together, which MoDOT officials say will make the bridge stronger.

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